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Introduction
Ceylon spinach or Basella alba is a shortlived but productive leafy vegetable in the
tropics. Its resistance to pests and diseases
makes it very promising for small-scale production in home- and market gardens.
Local Name
English — Ceylon spinach, Indian spinach,
Malabar nightshade, Malabar
spinach
Bangladesh — puishak, sabuj, Poi sag, Poi,
Banjai
Cambodia — chrâlong
Chinese — saan choi
French — poi
Indonesia — gandola, genjerot
India — brides
Laos — pang
Malaysia — gendola, remayong, tembayung
Philippines — alugbati, dundula, libato
Thailand — phakpang, phakplang
phakplang-yai, phak-plung
Vietnam — m[oof]ng t[ow]i, m[uf]ng t[ow]i
Biodiversity
The exact origin of Ceylon spinach is unknown but it is considered a native of India.
It was long cultivated in Southeast Asia and
China, and is now widespread throughout
tropical Asia, Africa and America. It is a
popular vegetable in Malaysia and the Philippines.
There are three main types. The common
type has dark-green egg-shaped leaves. The
less popular, ornamental type has red eggshaped leaves and red stems (sometime
called by its synonym, B. rubra). The third
type has heart-shaped dark green leaves
(Anredera cordifolia or Madeira vine).
• Leaves — egg to heart-shaped
• Petioles — dark green or purple
• Flowers — white, pink or purple
Ceylon spinach is a
fast growing, herbaceous perennial
with slender, twining
stems
that
reach up to 6 m.
Its very small flowers,
which
are
borne on a hanging
spike, develop into purplish-black fruits that
contain a single seed. Leaves are said to
have a mild, pleasant flavor, much like that
of spinach.
Cultivation
• Plant by direct seeding, transplanting or
using stem cuttings of 20-25 cm in length.
• Suggested spacing
Direct seeding: 5 cm between hills in the
row; 10-15 cm between rows
Transplanting: 15 cm between plants in
the row; 10-15 cm between rows
Stem cuttings: 20-30 cm between hills
with 2-3 cuttings per hills; 15-20
cm between rows
• Plants maybe grown with or without trellis.
• Plants are ready for harvest in 30-45 days.
• Harvest once over or pick young shoots at
weekly interval.
Nutritional value
Table below shows the nutritive value of edible portion of shoots per 100g.
Nutrition Value (per 100 g edible portion of shoots)
Water
91 g
Protein
2.1 g
Fat
0.3 g
Carbohydrates
3.9 g
Fiber
1.3 g
Vitamin A
1686-6390 IU
Vitamin C
29-166 mg
Calcium
16-117 mg
Iron
1.2-3.1 mg
Antioxidant of red Basella (by ABTSM) water
71 µm/g (Medium)
Antioxidant of green Basella (by ABTSM) water
71 µm/g (Medium)
Utilization
• Juice from the fruits used as a dye. This
red dye is used for official seals, as ink,
and as a rouge (China).
• Used to allay fever and as a mild laxative
for pregnant women.
• A decoction from the plant is used to alleviate labor pains.
• Boiled leaves are used as a poultice.
• Flower spikes sold as vegetable in markets
in northern Thailand.
• Flowers have been reported as antidote to
poisons.
• Fruit juice is used as eye-drops in the
treatment of conjunctivitis. used to soothe
inflamed skin, and relieve urinary disorders
and constipation.
• The roots are used as a rubefacient to
bring
about
redness
of
the
skin
(Philippines).
• Cooked roots are used to cure diarrhea,
while cooked leaves and stems are used as
a laxative.
• The red types of Ceylon spinach are very
popular ornamentals and are grown as a
pot plant (Europe).
References
AVRDC Vegetable Genetic Resources Information System (AVGRIS). 2005.
AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center, Shanhua, Tainan,Taiwan.Website:
http://203.64.245.173/avgris/
“Basella alba.” Plants for a Future-Species Database. 20 October 2002.
Plants for a Future. 3 November 2004 <http://www. scs.leeds.ac.uk/cgibin/pfaf/arr_ html?Basella+alba&CAN=COMIND>
“Basella alba L.-Ceylon spinach.” Tropilab. Tropilab Inc. 3 November 2004
<http://www.tropilab.com/bas.html>
Freedman, R.L. “Basellaceae.” Famine Foods Database. 22 January 1998.
Purdue University. 4 November 2004 <http://www.hort.purdue.edu/
newcrop/famine foods/ff_families/BASELLACEAE.html>
Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Indigenous Vegetables of Southeast Asia. AVRDC— The World Vegetables
Center. http://203.64.245.173/sea_iv/
Palada M. C. and L. C. Chang. 2003. Suggested Cultural Practices for
Basella. International Cooperator’s Guide. May 2003. AVRDC pub# 03-553.
Siemonsma, J.S. and Kasem Piluek (eds.). 1993. PROSEA 8: Vegetables.
The Netherlands: Pudoc, Wageningen. 1994. 412 p.
Yang Ray-Yu, Samson CS Tsou, Tung-Ching Lee, Wan-Jan Wu, Peter M
Hanson, George Kuo, Liwayway M Engle and Po-Yung Lai. Distribution of
127 edible plant species for antioxidant activities by two assays. J Sci Food
Agric 86:2395-2403. 2006.
Fried Corned Beef
with Ceylon Spinach
(Source: Mga Lutuing Katutubong Gulay)
• An infusion of the leaves is used as a substitute for tea.
• A red dye from the fruits is used as a food
coloring in pastries and sweets and to color
agar.
• The juice is also a source of edible agar.
IV Leaflet No. 4
Know Your IVs
Ingredients
1 can of corned beef
4 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 kg Ceylon spinach
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
cooking oil
Procedure
•
•
•
•
Fry corned beef with garlic and onion.
Add Ceylon spinach.
Add salt and pepper according to taste.
Cook until meat is done, serve it hot.
Other ways of food preparation
• Ceylon spinach is mainly grown for its
young shoots, which are eaten raw as a
salad, boiled, or fried in oil.
• Shoots are used as a pot herb in stews or
soups. Do not cook too long to prevent
from becoming “slippery soup”.
• Leaves and young shoots boiled with ginger, tomato, onions, and shrimp or thin
slices of beef (Philippines).
• Leaves and young shoots are used in salads or steamed with tofu and ginger.
• Leaves used in curries.
• It makes a good substitute for okra as a
thickener for soups and stews.
Ceylon spinach